The DHB system was produced by the Labour-led coalition government elected in 1999. Labour had campaigned strongly on health sector reform, where the changes came as no surprise (Gauld 2009). The reform resulted in the establishment of 21 DHBs, led by boards elected by their local communities. The DHBs are ‘responsible for providing, or funding the provision of health and disability services in their district’ (Ministry of Health 2010). The incentive for reform was to eliminate the quasi market ideologies underpinning the previous system and to facilitate cooperation (Ashton 2009).
In the DHB relationship, the Ministry provides national policy, in the form of strategies, which the DHBs are to interpret and apply in response to the needs of their communities. These strategies are then the means to which DHBs are held to account for service delivery (Gauld 2003, 2009; Devlin, Maynard, and Mays 2001).
For further information about DHBs, follow this link to the DHB section on the Ministry of Health website. Information about DHBNZ, can be found here.